My nightmare experience with @DellCare / Dell Complete Care Warranty / EMEA Dell support FULL DETAILS INCLUDED

I'm sorry to hear that, really. I am not attacking you, probably just much as you are not me. Maybe I'm guilty of being overly defensive of the position I am in, as that too has been a very stressful experience thus far, and I have apologised to other members earlier in the thread for doing so. I'll offer my apologies to you too, Kev, let's just let bygones be bygones, eh? - I'm not the kind to hold grudges but surely you can see where I am coming from. This has been hard enough for me already without further aspersion being cast about my motives here. All I want is for what I paid for to work as advertised. If that means Dell offering me a new 18, so be it. I am not demanding things from Dell, merely trying to drive them in a direction that I feel is appropriate. So, with that said........

Anyone for an olive branch?

 

Now, that's what I'm talking about. NBR Community... the Alienware Family.

 

Fox, if agreeable with you, let's all start out afresh. If you agree, let's delete everything from post #196 onwards. Maybe leave the last few so Brother Kev can see them. That way, we all get a clean slate.

What d'ya reckon buddy?

 

I'll do that tonight, bud.

 

Thanks mate, sorry you have to exercise you mod fingers yet again LOL - probably best for all though, eh? - like I said, leave a few so Kev can see....and then we can all have a massive group man-hug LOL

 

He can exercise his fingers for other uses

 

- the mind boggles!

Are we cool, Kev? - sure hope so mate.

 

Heres something that i feel expresses it with a bit of humor.

 

if its me at this point I guess anything can be good, as long as next machine is an upgrade in every aspect, otherwise sucks. on the other hand I was quite disappointed, looks I can accept but the hardware, not so much. reduced storage by 1 bay and an esata port gone kinda hurts me as i do a lot of external transfering, and also encluding expresscard slot also hurts too, its like having additional USB 2/3 port gone.

if you dont use those its probably an upgrade, considering you'll still be able to get higher raid performance with three drives at sata III (for sequential only and maybe 4k write), unless you go for sandforce drives. other than full SATA III the interior design MAYBE a plus but i dont own one so I do not have a say in this. I've heard johnks mention something about not need to take off screen to see the interior part but thats just speculation from a mere picture thoough.

anywayyy im going off topic yet again, hope you get your new machine soon (if you're getting one), if not you should upgrade your mobo to R2, it owns.

 

Well, the only thing that I am fairly certain (he say's, with various body parts crossed) about at the moment is that whatever replacement I get from Dell, it will be a new build. That's me 'reading between the lines' if you like - @DellCares mentioned that they cannot promise what SSD/s I will get because of SSD backorders across the board - that, to me suggests that the backorder status is a 'production issue', and as such, indicates a new order/build. Also, DC have not corrected me when I have asked about this....they have not said "Mr Jones, replacement may take some time while we hunt around for a used box for you....." - Still, anything is possible at this point, so I won't bet my house on it just yet....but I do have a few Dell contacts who have mentioned to me that this is to be the case....new build.

If the above does pan out to be true, then of course, I am quite happy to look at entertaining an offer of pretty much anything from Dell - I am not an unreasonable guy, oddly enough!. At this stage, any such resolution, within reason, would be acceptable. There are of course aspects that I would not be happy about, as mentioned before, which would include things like losing my XM processor etc etc.

Of course, again assuming that the above pans out, I feel that it is only a 'natural thought process' for my thoughts to turn to the possibility of said replacement being a new revision. I do not feel that this is being 'greedy' as I am sure ANYONE in the same position who had been offered a new replacement machine recently would think along the same lines. As we know, we have already seen a few people recently having their older revision machines replaced with the latest revision of their model. Brother jourdy, who posted on this thread about his issues, and later started his own thread, was offered a new 14 for his older revision 14. Same with another guy that I recently saw, too - probably many more that do not post here on NBR as well.

As you guys know, I have placed no demands on Dell for such a resolution. Yes, I sure have mentioned it to them in passing, why wouldn't I? - especially as the PLS screen would be of huge interest/advantage for me - DC told me that they would take it on board. Again, this was not a demand from me, merely a request. The way I look at is this...if they are building a new machine, they are building a new machine. Period. As we know, this was Dell's choice to offer me that resolution - I did not stamp my feet and demand it - they offered it, and I am very grateful for it. For sure.

My 'cost comparison' post bit the dust (lol) but you guys got the gist of things, right? - the fact that building a similarly spec'd R2 and a similarly spec'd 18 are pretty much 'neck and neck' for price/cost, and bearing that in mind, I don't see any real 'additional' financial detriment to Dell to provide either machine, as they have already intimated that my replacement indeed would be a new build. If there had been a huge difference in cost, and the 18 was vastly more expensive to build than an R2, I would not expect Dell to even consider that as an option. I'm not out to 'bleed Dell dry' here.....if they are prepared to offer a machine that costs 'X' amount to build, and there is a newer machine available that costs no more than that amount, I feel that it's maybe a valid point for them to consider. Just saying....

Also, from another context, regarding 'speed of resolution', I believe that the R2's (what is left of them, as I have been told by a few Dell people that they are imminently to be marked EOL or 'end of life') are actually experiencing very long production delays, down to LCD supply and other part shortages. I've spoke to a few people at Dell who confirm this to be the case, even people on this forum also report that they are getting notifications from Dell stating long delays of around two months and more for their R2 orders. Personally, I don't want to be hanging around for a resolution for that long.....especially as this has been ongoing for long enough already. I'd appreciate a pretty quick resolution from Dell now....especially as a new build IS on the table....if that means an 18, so be it. I won't argue.

Anyway's, I have no further updates from anyone to report as of right now. I'm still in the dark as to what is going down behind the scenes. If I do get any updates, I will be sure to keep you guys posted. I guess all that is left to sort out for me is the 'finer details' about what this replacement will be. Suffice to say, I am actually quite relaxed about the whole thing as it stands right now.....though that could all change in the blink of an eye!!

Thanks guys.

 

Did you have Dell upgrade you to the 680's post R1? Like you purchased them and had dell install them?

 

That was an upgrade done at my expense and installed by my good self. 580m's kept in back-up for warranty issues/claims. Same goes for my triple pipe cpu heatsink and the memory upgrades....I have kept the original components so if ever my machine needed to go back to Dell, it goes back 'stock configuration'.

 

Hmph guess if you get a new machine you might get to make some $$$ off the old 680's. Thats a win.

 

Yeah...I guess I would recover some of the cost outlay for them which I could use for something else....I'd probably end up selling the 680m's on NBR/Ebay as a 'kit' because they will be removed from my R1 'in tact' with the heatsinks still attached, with a brand new/sealed Sli Bridge, too.

When I did the 680m upgrade, I bought the gpu's new, bought new heatsinks and a new Sli bridge as well. I pulled the 580m's out as assembled units, put them to one side in anti-static pouches, still assembled. I then assembled the new 680m's with the new heatsinks and installed them. The new Sli Bridge never got used as I just used the original one, so it would be a pretty nice upgrade for someone - and very easy for them to do, as it's just a case of 'plug and play' with these babies....

All I need to do myself to revert to stock configuration is to pull out the 680m's (assembled with heatsinks) and repack them in anti-static pouches ready for the next owner, slap the 580m's back in, which are already assembled from previous removal, whip off the triple pipe cpu heatsink and reinstall the old one with a repaste, pop out my ram and put the original back in and she's good to go......back to Dell.

 

cant say i'd be too happy if i was offered the new gen machine. can't find manual lol, delay shipment by at least 3 weeks and could have bunch of other issues just cause its still new. no unlocked bios, load of less features, gotta wait!

 

Beggar's can't be chooser's, unfortunately for me. If I was afforded the option, I'd go for an 18. I'm not that fond of the looks of the machine itself actually, but the display being PLS and less reflective is a BIG thing for me. I'm sure that those unlocked features would follow, given time. Brother svl7 has already worked some absolute miracles with the 780m vBios to unleash their full potential. I am sure he and the team at bios.mods will have the system bios unlocked at some point, too.

As for issues, I could get that with an R2, as it's a new build. Could get issues with the 18, too.....just gotta roll with the punches, Bro...take each thing in your stride and deal with it as it happens - if it happens.

Regarding lead time, I'm pretty certain actually that the lead time for an R2 is now even longer than for an 18, due to parts/stock availability on a product soon to be marked EOL. Just Dell running the barrel dry with the last few machines they can cobble together out of what they have left, parts wise, as they won't be ordering any more 'bits and bob's" for those machines any longer...things like chassis, lid etc etc....all will be down to bare minimums, which lead to much longer wait times.

That's one of the reasons that I'd prefer Dell to just get on with my case, bang in an order for an 18 ASAP and get things sorted, once and for all. Still, will have to wait and see what happens on that front, eh?

 

Daily bump for myself. Guys - nothing new to report. Just keeping this in public view for the time being. Last contact from 'the mothership' was on 26th.....

 

Still nothin', eh? I wasn't even going to check on this until Tuesday, but I'm bored enough to be hanging around here.

 

Sorry to hear of your troubles with this, Steve. I'm really glad to have you as a PM option though, as you have gained immense knowledge over time. I've been holding back on any new Alien purchases, and now that the Haswells are out, I'm gonna slip on into one at some comfortable time a little down the road, but no hurry at all. My big old "iron" boat anchor from 2010/2011 is actually chuggin' along just fine, heating my room on cold evenings. Sure, it's quirky, and they never did fix the Crossfire cards' bug, but I don't care anymore. I kinda like it just as it is. And I think I'm done with RAID, like FOREVER. You just don't need it in a laptop. I learned that from you, my friend. I might try an SSD next time, but if I do, it will be just one.

 

Hahaha! - well, it will be THREE WEEKS tomorrow since Dell offered the option of a replacement. I am quite shocked (and appalled, really) that it has taken so long to just offer me something. As you know, I've been fed the "Your case is a priority" line for some time now...coupled with the timeless classic "Please allow us some time to get approvals" line as well. I fail to see how it's a priority if it takes 3 weeks to get to such a stage. Quite baffling.

Actually, I've gotten quite fed up of sending DM's to @DellCares asking for updates as I know what the response will be. I might just wait and see how long it takes them to contact me instead, given that I am supposedly a "priority" eh?

Brother Dave!! - good to see ya, buddy!

Thanks for the kind words, Bro - I've only really gained knowledge from the wealth of it available here on NBR....just self educating myself as time goes by. I never thought there would be so much to learn, but I'm still learning, and more importantly, still enjoying doing so. It's great that you plan on upgrading at some point.....I guess it's the 'smart move' to hold off until the new machines have had a chance to settle down and we can see the possible pro's and con's. I fully take on board your comment about RAID - I guess I went for it because of the advertising mantle of "Ultimate Performance!" LOL . I imagine that with the right hardware, it's not an issue as we see many people here running such setups without any issues. I will, however, be extremely cautious and apprehensive about Raiding again.....for sure.

 

Stevie how much more time will you give them ?? It might be time to move this problem to the next lvl World domination lvl

 

I haven't had time to read the entire thread, just the first few pages but I agree with the majority that this is unacceptable. That level of performance degradation is simply not on, at least not without the consumer knowing so they can make an informed decision.

We've all paid the extra for a quality product and we expect it to work at a high standard. And while obviously Dell should treat all their customers with respect, we expect them to show a bit more consideration for their premium customers. We're not buying £200 machines with razor thin margins after all.

When Dell's support process works, it's usually great. When things go wrong though, it's a nightmare. Unfortunately it's been the latter in your case.

 

Yeah, it's pretty much been the worst Dell experience I have EVER had - and I've had a few besides this one!

Pretty soon, we are gonna be approaching the TWO MONTH marker, after my initial contact. Won't be long now.....and I still don't have the proposal of intended resolution....just left dangling in the wind. Not exactly the best way to treat what is supposedly a 'priority case' really, is it?

So, the thread title is becoming more and more apt with each passing day - it's like a nightmare that I'm never waking up from.... as each day goes by now, I find myself thinking to myself 'Today's gonna be the day, Steve....they'll have you squared away Today' and then nothing happens. It really is like a 'groundhog day' nightmare....

 

A lot of us are right behind you still Stevie. At this point I feel even if Dell make things right, it's totally unacceptable to leave a customer hanging this long.
What a terrible decision making process they have in place. At this point the bad P.R just from this thread will hurt them more than if they were to honour their warranty off the bat.
"Biting the hand that feed you" comes to mind.

(Side not, does anyone know why, when I write 'P.R' without the "." Notebook review automatically changes the text to "google page ranking"?! *slightly concerned about freedom of speech here*)

 

If it's any consolation, you're not the only one who's been in such a terrible position. I'm not exactly sure on who had it worse out of me or you though. Lots more hassle, lies, and apathy on your end vs. a longer wait for me to get a paperweight fixed, and getting stonewalled until I could find the right person to give them a good kick and sort things out.

Definitely does make you feel like a second class citizen when you have reps here who would be very willing to help, but because of the region they have no power other than sending a few emails off.

It's particularly strange when Dell's general policy of support seems to be to take the hits on occasions, and rely on the goodwill and positive word of mouth to gain more business to offset that.

If you look at Amazon for example, their approach to customer service is completely consistent. In other words, they'll do a lot to help you, because they recognise the value of happy customers instead of trying to save what amounts to a pittance in the long run. Yet with Dell they'll leap about from this to a penny-pinching, blame-everyone-else attitude.

 

I read some of your story on the other thread. After several trips through Dell Hell I was told in no uncertain terms I would never receive another system replacement after my 4th M17x; Perhaps like me you've been blackballed and that's why it seems like the normal process has tightened up on ya.

Or it could just be yet another tale from Dell Hell.

 

Well, that would sound like a possibility, however they (@DellCares) offered me a replacement machine on 11th June:

Since that point onwards, I've had to chase for ANY update, and as it stands right now, it's THREE WEEKS since they offered this resolution and I am STILL waiting for them to get back to me.....I've lost interest in chasing them again because I just get tossed the line "Please allow us some time" or "We are waiting on approval - will DM you soon" - HA! - nothing at all.......

As for the possibility of being 'black-balled' - It shocks and disgusts me that this kind of thing could even go on. It's NOT the customers fault if Dell continue to provide them with substandard equipment - for them to take a note of your history and then use it against you is criminal. If they choose to sell problematic computers, they should, at the very least, stand behind their product and offer FULL support, not just support up to a certain point that suits them, and then turn to using some kind of weird 'internal naughty customer diary' to allow them to withdraw further assistance.......I'm sure it goes on, but it does not make it any easier to swallow. A dog turd coated with sugar is still a dog turd...

Anyway's, I could go on for hours about how that 'system' makes my blood boil, won't do me any good though!

So, like I said, it's now been a whole 3 weeks to the day since that resolution was offered. I'm still no further along. I haven't DM'd @DellCares for an update because, quite frankly and ironically, they obviously DON'T care.....maybe a name change is in order for their Twitter support.....'@DellDoesn'tGiveaTossAboutYouExceptWhenTheyWantTheMoneyFromYourSale'

 

Well, the temptation to ask @DellCares for an update was just too great to resist. Perhaps more fool me. Their last contact with me was on 26th June which stated:

I responded to that with:

I know, at this point, I'm likely to get back another message/DM from them asking for more time or telling me they are waiting on appoval... - thought it was worth asking again though....as I am such a priority LOL.

 

You're in the Priority (Make you wait long enough for you to give up) queue!

I'd honestly be searching up the ladder by this point. The delay from resolution offer to any other communication alone with worth mentioning to Exec Res.

 

Well, I did get this reply from my latest DM to @DellCares:

I did reply with:

Given that I've waited this long, another 24 hours won't kill me.....if patience was an olympic sport, I'd be a triple gold medal winner by now LOL

 

are youre saying ~24h from now? that would be sweet to see them make a move at last if so...

 

Well, I got that reply from @DellCares at 16.45 UK time Today.....let's see if they hold true....I personally doubt it very much.

 

well lets keep fingers crossed, hope for the best ... but I kinda doubt that too

 

Keeping my fingers crossed as well! I think all of us have our doubts, but perhaps we will be pleasantly surprised...

 

Well. I have an update, of sorts. I've had a DM from @DellCares this morning, and I've also had an email land in my mailbox with an offer of a new machine and its proposed specification for resolution from the same team. The DM I received stated:

Anyway, I headed on over to my mailbox to check it out.....my god, I was astonsihed to say the very least. I think you guys would know why, so check out Dell's 'proposed resolution' after all this time I've spent, after all the runaround they have given me......here it is:

M18x Base
Components
1 Processor : 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3630QM (6MB Cache, up to 3.4GHz w/ Turbo Boost
2.0)
1 Display : 18.4" WideFHD (1920 x 1080) WLED LCD
1 Camera : Integrated Skype HD Certified FullHD Camera with dual digital microphones
1 LCD Back Cover : Nebula Red - Anodized Aluminum
1 Memory : 8192MB (2x4096) 1600MHz DDR3 Dual Channel
1 Hard Drive : 512GB Dell Mobility Solid State Drive 6Gb/s
1 Optical Drive : BluRay Combo (Blu-ray read only, DVD, CD read & write)
1 Power Cord : UK 250V
1 Battery : Primary 12-cell 97W/HR LI-ION
1 Graphics : 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GTX 675M
1 Audio : Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX TruStudio Pro Software
1 Wireless : Intel 2230 Wireless Card + BT
1 Keyboard : Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Keyboard
1 Avatar : Alienhead 3D
1 Wallpaper : Alienware 3D Wallpaper
1 AlienFX Colour : Mars Red
Software
1 Operating System : English Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate (64 BIT)
1 Software : Datasafe Local 2.0 Basic
Service
1 2 Year Hardware Support - Next Business Day
1 2 years Accidental Damage Protection (OS)

I'm sure that I don't need to point things out to you guys - it's pretty plain to see that Dell are trying to shaft me big time - even after all this time and the fact that there MUST be Dell 'eyes' on this thread, from a Social Media perspective - at least I would have thought there would have been. When I opened that email, I actually could not believe my eyes. Utter disbelief. Utter shock. Utter disgust. Need I go on?

So, I have DM'd them back with the following:

I can't convey my disgust right now. It's taken THREE WEEKS to turn around and offer me THIS as a resolution???????????

If you are reading this Dell, you can go and take a long walk off a very short cliff.....you can also take my M18x R1 with you, shoved squarely up Michael Dell's rear end......

I've just about had as much of this debacle as I can possibly take....

 

oh my b@llz ... im sick to my stomach reading this.... time to hit the formal institutions at the corporate level now i guess, they are just totally taking you for a joke! "Highest priority" , the "resolution" ... this is just pure ape$h1t.... I am feeling your pain man, and I am shocked to bones

 

Shocked isn't even close to how I feel, Bro - I am completely and utterly out of my mind right now. I REALLY have had as much of this crap as I am gonna take. Priority customer, eh? - valued customer, eh? - my butt. This is just one big fat insult to far.....Dell can go an F themselves....

 

time to give them harlem shake legal way, I suppose they have nothing better to do than just insult people who spend top dollar on their products, show them where legs grow from

 

Wow.. What a kick in the teeth.
Like that's a comparable replacement.

 

I really can't believe what they sent as an offer...

Going from XM cpu to entry level 3630qm.
Going from 580m Sli to a SINGLE 675m, which is just a rebadged 580m
Losing my Killer Card
Losing 2 of my four years warranty
Losing the performance of my raided drives for a single which they cannot guarantee what it will be anyway's - I actually thought that they would compensate for this fact. Silly me.

Oh, I forgot - they gave me a bump in memory, big freakin' deal....I had 4gb with my original R1.

Stunning deal, eh? - they can shove it where the sun don't shine....

Oh, and to add insult to injury, as we know, we've seen quite a few people recently getting the new models as replacements.....not me. Dell obviously think I am a "SPECIAL" customer who deserves to be bent over a barrel and screwed as hard as they possibly can.

 

Oh, at this point, you guys might as well know that Brother Bill B and Brother AW Mark O were the guys 'helping me' - I've mailed them both with this proposed abortion of a resolution. I haven't had a reply from them in a while from various emails I've sent them....I guess they are fed up with hearing from me....not gonna hold my breath hearing back from them now....

I've also CC'd in the lady that emailed me the proposed offer - Bill, Mark and this lady (Frances Yap) have all had my email stating my utter shock and disgust.....

I cannot believe I have waited THREE WEEKS to be insulted to this extent....

 

just sue them trough court, simple as that. Enough is enough, this thread is like a plague, like a rotten blister on DELL not so much "reputable" name for what they do aftersales

 

Yeah, that's a pretty awful offer to say the least.

Unfortunate that some reps try this. Either to keep their costs down, or because they have no idea about the hardware. Or possibly an attempt to get rid of their old M18x stock. Regardless, what a terrible response.

Dell have really dropped the ball on this one.

 

That is crazy unbelievable... They must've been waiting this entire time to try to find you an M18x R2, just so they don't have to offer you an R3... And even still, it's not even comparable. That's a $1400 machine, compared to your $3500 (minimum) machine.

Out of curiosity, did you email them your base specs as well as your disgust? Could you post your base specs here?

Also, technically, your existing warranty should be transferred to the new product. So you can ignore that part.

 

Nah, I did not mail them my original configuration as I thought that they would have at least compared the two. Here is my original spec:

210-36129 Alienware M18x : Nebula Red 1
213-14321 Processor : Intel Core i7 2960XM with Overclocked Turbo Boost (8MB Cache) 1
230-12024 Display : 18.4in Widescreen Full High Definition (1920X1080) WLED LCD 1
319-10631 Camera : Integrated 3.0 Mega Pixel HD Camera 1
340-25562 Resource DVD : Alienware M18x 1
340-25546 Ship Accessory : English Docs 1
370-15259 Memory : 4096MB (2x2048) 1333MHz DDR3 Dual Channel 1
400-22889 Hard Drive : 512GB (2x256GB) Solid State Drive Raid 0 "Stripe" Dual HDD 1
429-15641 Optical Drive : Blu-Ray Disc (DVD+/-RW + BD-ROM) Drive including software 1
450-13572 Power Cord : UK 250V 1
450-16750 Power Supply : Alienware 330W AC Adapter 1
451-11720 Battery : Primary 12-cell 97W/HR LI-ION 1
460-11379 Carry Case : Not Included 1
490-13098 Graphics : Dual 2GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M SLI 1
510-10410 Audio : Creative SoundBlaster Xfi MB Software Suite 1
555-13552 Bluetooth : European Dell Wireless 375 Bluetooth Card 1
555-14006 Wireless : Europe Killer Wireless-N 1103 1
583-15162 Keyboard : Internal UK/Irish QWERTY Keyboard 1
619-32223 Operating System : English Genuine Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate (64 BIT) 1
640-12352 Software : Dell Support Center 3.0 1
640-12302 Software : Datasafe Local 2.0 Basic 1
644-10025 Avatar : Alienhead 3D 1
645-10009 AutoMatic Updates : AutoMatic updates - On 1
648-10027 Wallpaper : Alienware 3D Wallpaper 1
650-12454 No Software Anti-Virus 1
657-10010 Name Plate Engraving : Generic 1
754-76764 4 Year Hardware Support - Next Business Day 1
754-76760 Standard Service - 1 year of Next Business Day coverage included with your PC 1
755-10557 4 years Accidental Damage Support 1
799-17368 Alienware M18x Order - UK HSB 1

Pretty much everything maxed out, except for RAM.

Their offer is pathetic. I'd rather boil my own testicles than take that....it's kind of commonplace on the forums to see members getting a maxed out replacement for their previously maxed out defunct machines. Go figure.....

 

I seem to remember that with my first replacement the initial offer was a completely unacceptable spec, and that when I responded telling the rep what was wrong then he did change it. Shouldn't have to do that, but it happens unfortunately.

I was discussing this in another thread recently. I'm pretty sure the UK does things differently and you don't transfer warranties, you get new ones.

Even if this were the case, one should always get it in writing. Never assume anything when it comes to replacement machines. Don't agree to stuff over the phone without them sending you a quote via email.

 

Sometimes, they don't get all the details when they look at a service tag. I had one corrupted a while ago after a US to Canada transfer, and it was saying that it had 3 different C2D processors inside... Even though it had an i7.

I'd email them that, and mention your initial cost, and say that if they're going to offer a replacement you want it to be at a similar cost with RAID0 SSDs and the top end video cards/processor.

Edit: And that's fair about the warranty. Maybe Stevie is just under 3 years, so they rounded him down to 2 years?

 

That is simply unfair and unacceptable, steve. It's time to bring in the big horses. You've been plenty patient and understanding, while they have not shown you the respect you deserve as a valued customer. That offer they sent you only shows "take this and shut your mouth" kind of approach. I'm appalled. I don't understand why they're showing so much resistance toward providing a decent service. Had they given you a new or real equal machine this debacle would be over and forgotten and you a "happy chap," instead of being an ever-unsolved issue. I believe that resolving this in an acceptable (and for you satisfying) manner is also in their interest. This board is one of the biggest gathering for (tech savvy) Alienware customers in the world, and I don't get why Dell wouldn't try to shine here and show all that they are that company that differently than many others actually cares. I'm sorry you're going through this, bud. As I said, it may be the time to take this to the next level.

 

Just a FYI, but my machine order was placed 13th December 2011 - that means I'm 1 and a half years into a 4yr warranty. Nice of Dell to rob me on that one as well.......

I'm just sick to death of this whole crap. This 'offer' this morning was the straw that broke the camel's back, for me. I'd been waiting patiently, co-operating with Dell, playing their game....letting them call the shots....basically doing as much as I could do to remain polite and courteous - hoping that they would do the right thing. This last 3 weeks has been nothing short of excruciating. Regardless of how this get's sorted out, I have had quite as much crap as one man can take from Dell and their ineptness.

 

No words, Stevie... This is beyond unacceptable.